


The Royals: His & Her Rules

by Lady_Penbroke



Category: The Royals (TV 2015)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:29:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27751576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Penbroke/pseuds/Lady_Penbroke
Summary: When the wedding of King Robert Henstridge is suddenly canceled, the King finds himself still looking for a bride.  An old friend comes back into his life, surprising him and stirring emotions he had forgotten about. Is she the queen he's looking for? And can she handle the backstabbing of his family?
Relationships: Robert Henstridge/Original Female Character





	1. I Need My Wingman

King Robert Henstridge paced the corridors of the palace, restless. The royal wedding was off, Willow had backed out at the last moment and disappeared. Robert wasn't sure if it was because Jasper Frost's father showed up as the priest or if his words had scared her off. Either way, something was going on. His entire family was acting unusual and he wondered what they thought they knew. He shook his head, turning down the corridor to speak to Mr. Hill. If there was still one person in the palace that was neutral, it was him. At least, Robert thought he was.

"I understand that, Mr. Hill. But trust me, I have the clearances. Probably higher clearances than half the people that work here. Could you please let his majesty know that I am here to speak with him?"

Robert's brow furrowed as he listened to the voice. He knew that voice. He knew it well. A smile upturned his lips, and he tucked his hands in the pocket of his jeans as he approached the office. He leaned in the doorway, staring at the figure giving his head of security a righteous talking to. He held his finger to his lips behind the woman. He wanted to hear what James Hill was going to tell her.

"Miss Sutcliffe, I understand that you wish to speak to his majesty but..."

"Squadron Leader. Squadron Leader Sutcliffe, Mr. Hill, a rank I fought for and earned, thank you very much," she snapped. "And I don't need an appointment. So please, pick up the phone and kindly call his majesty and ask him to come here." She clasped her hands behind her back.

Robert watched her. She stood feet apart, steady on her black heels. The skirt of her uniform was without wrinkle, her hose regulation nude color. Her jacket was belted at her waist and he was pretty sure the light blue shirt under it had more starch on it than his own. He knew by heart the medals she wore on the front of it and he was sure her tie was a Windsor knot. He was the one who taught her how to tie it. Her hat was under her arm, her auburn hair in a tight bun at the back of her head. "Seriously, Gizmo," he stated, referring to her by her callsign, "the King is very busy at the moment. He's wondering what took his wingman so long to come and see him."

The woman smiled at Mr. Hill before making a perfect spin and saluting Robert. "Your majesty." She paused, dropping her hand. "Do I curtsey as well or is a salute enough? I mean seriously, Robbie, you never explained any of this to me."

Robert gazed at her. She was a sight for sore eyes, he wasn't going to lie. "How about a hug, Piper?" he said, opening his arms to her.

She calmly walked over to him and hugged him. She found herself being lifted in the air and swung around. She squealed in laughter before he put her back on her feet. She studied him for a moment. There were a few more lines at the corner of his eyes, a few more freckles across the bridge of his nose. And she wasn't used to seeing the two days growth on his chin or upper lip, but she liked it. "I'm sorry I couldn't get to you in time," she said softly.

Robert tucked her hand in the crook of his arm. He looked at his security officer, the man's expression a bit concerned. "It's all right Mr. Hill. Squadron Leader Sutcliffe is...was...my wingman." He looked at Piper. "She probably knows more about me than anyone else in my family. Make sure she is given priority clearance to the palace and to me." He started walking away from the security office with Piper on his arm. He waited to continue their conversation until they were in his office. "I hope you have not been driving yourself crazy thinking you could've done something," he said quietly. He paused, finally letting go of her hand. "I heard you got in trouble."

"I did. We were ordered back to the carrier and I didn't go right away." She set her hat on his desk, waiting until he walked around it. She took in the crisp white shirt he wore, tucked neatly in his belted blue jeans. "Not after what you said on comms to me. I almost didn't make it back, I used up that much fuel trying to find you." She looked down at her hands. "I've only flown a few missions since."

"I heard you were teaching," Robert replied, pouring them each a glass of whiskey. He handed one to her, joining her at the front side of the desk before motioning towards the settee to the right of his office. He strode over to it, settling on the edge as he waited for her to join him.

"I was." She sat down next to him after smoothing her skirt with one hand. She tapped her glass against his and they both sipped at the amber liquid. "Robbie...can I still call you that? Am I allowed to be that familiar with the king?" she asked curiously. She looked around the room, taking in the books off to one side of the table, the way the room was decorated. She could see Robert's touched throughout the room.

"I would bloody well hope so," he laughed. "You saved my ass more times than I can count up there. You have most assuredly earned that right."

She smiled at his comment. She looked into the glass, looking for the words she wanted to say. She shifted a bit to face him, to meet his blue-eyed gaze. "When I heard you were alive after eight months on that island, I wanted to kick myself for not searching harder. And then the questions came from our superiors. What did I know? Where did I see you go down? Did I follow proper protocol? All of it and it was twice as bad as any other investigation because you were the crown prince." She took a sip of the whiskey, the second sip burning a bit as it went down.

Robert studied her. "And you answered them. It's all over, Piper." He shook his head, setting his glass on the table in front of them. He clasped his hands, contemplating her words, what he wanted to say to her. Other than his ex-girlfriend Katheryn, Piper was the other person he thought of the most while he was stranded on the island. "I wanted to contact you sooner," he admitted. 

Piper tossed back the whiskey. "Robbie, I resigned my commission." She set her glass down and stood up, pacing. "My last day as squadron leader is next week. But I wanted to see you before then, to tell you I searched for you. To let you know that I never gave up." She laughed a bit. "It's a bit hard living up to my own legend of being the wingman to the king of England." She stopped at a sideboard table, running her fingers along its cold surface.

"Well, they are big shoes to fill," he teased. When she didn't respond, he realized that there was more she wanted to say, but simply couldn't voice it. Robert stood and walked over to her. He stopped a few inches from her, unsure of what to say to get her to finish her thought. Piper was not one for small talk. She never had been, but at this point, he didn't know what to say. At least not at first. "Do any of them know?"

"Know what?" she asked in confusion. Piper forgot that he had a way of invading her personal space that she never allowed anyone else to do. She tilted her head as she looked up at him. His blue eyes had softened as he looked down at her and she looked away. She could smell his cologne and it stirred something in her she wasn't sure she wanted to face.

"About us," he asked quietly.

It took her a moment to realize the real question he was asking. "No. No, I would've taken that to my grave, Robert." She took a deep breath, stepping away from him to gather her wits. "I just...with you being king, I wanted to see you one last time before I slipped back into society and couldn't, you know...being a peasant and all. The days of the Prince and Gizmo being long over, and all that." She turned to get her hat when he caught her hand. "You know, I'm always there if you need me," she whispered. She couldn't meet his gaze.

"And what if I said I needed you now more than ever?" he asked. He tugged her gently back to him. "Piper, over the years we've served together, you've become my best friend. And I'm not mad that you had to leave me there. You did what I told you to do."

"No, I looked for you, Robert. I didn't want to leave you there," she protested. She studied his face, the stubborn set of his jaw. "Oh, I know that look," she huffed with a smile. She cupped his cheek with her free hand, shaking her head. "Robert, you're the king. We can't..."

"Yes. And as the king, I could make it a royal decree that you don't run off on me," he interrupted.

Piper stared at him in confusion. He was going somewhere with this. "What are you asking, Robert?"

He pulled her back to the couch, sitting her down with him. He never let go of her hand, his thumb running across the back of it slowly. "What if..." He paused. "What if we try it for real this time?" He saw the wide-eyed, incredulous look she gave him. He laughed, holding her hand a bit tighter to keep her from bolting. "Hear me out, Gizmo. I know we promised each other that it was one night, and we were a bit drunk. But over the last few weeks, ever since the debacle of my supposedly royal wedding, I haven't been able to get you out of my mind. Especially after Len told me she saw you."

"Where did Princess Eleanor see me?" she asked him.

"The Hide Restaurant in Mayfair," Robert answered. "Did she not come and speak with you?"

"No. No, she didn't." Piper stared at him. "So, you're telling me you want to...you..." She exhaled through her nose; her brow furrowed as she contemplated what he was saying. "You want to...you're actually suggesting...you want to..." She looked away. "Well, that's a first."

Robert reached out and turned her face back towards him. "You know how I feel about you, Piper. That has never changed."

"But you're the king, Robert, and I'm..."

"My wingman," he finished before lowering his lips to hers. "And I need my wingman," he added in a whisper.

His kiss was tender, gentle, chaste and Piper felt her heart speed up. They had never acted on their feelings after that one night, but those feelings were there. They were on leave with the rest of their squadron. It was one of the few nights his security detail gave them space. Piper kissed him first and when he returned the kiss, things got out of hand...in a good way. "What do you need your wingman to do, exactly?" she asked.

"Be my wife and my queen."

Piper suddenly stood up and stared at him in shock. "Robbie are you serious?" she asked. She held up her hands when he stood. She needed him to give her space to think. "Oh, this was not what I was expecting when I came here to talk to you. Are you sure this isn't some rebound..." 

Robert expected her to react this way and he stood up and pulled her back to him, kissing her the way he kissed her that night. The way he had wanted to kiss her after every successful mission. He didn't let up until he felt her soften against him. "It is not, Piper." He cupped her face in his hands. "I'm being serious. I need you here. I need you by my side, Gizmo." He shook his head. "I made a mistake not asking you first."

"No, you got caught up in a whirlwind you were not expecting. And one of your mother's making when you asked her to plan a wedding," she stated bluntly. She let out a very unladylike snort. "You've told me enough about her to be able to read how that situation has played out."

"And this is why I need you," he laughed. "You're strong enough to withstand whatever my rule throws at me."

"Throws at you?" Piper gasped. "Robert, you disbanded Parliament without so much as a by your leave." She closed her eyes for a moment, pinching the bridge of her nose. She couldn't handle the grin he was giving her, the one that showed his dimples and the way his eyes danced. Piper finally stared up at him, very aware that his arms were still around him. "I must be crazy even contemplating this," she pointed out. "I mean, you could at least..." She felt her cheeks flush. "You could at least make a show of it, Robert, and date me properly first," she quipped.

He nodded. "I think I can do that. So, what do you say, Gizmo? We're no longer prevented from seeing each other. I will properly date you and then we will have a proper royal wedding." He kissed her again, slowly. "I do love you, Piper. I always have. And now I can say it without worrying about getting caught."

Piper leaned her forehead on his chest as he pulled her to him. "Yes." She nodded, laughing. "I'm crazy and insanely in love with you, Robert Henstridge, and yes." She heard a clock chime somewhere and grabbed his wrist, looking at his watch. "I am going to be late. I need to get back to the office." She kissed him quickly and grabbed her hat off his desk.

"Gizmo, dinner tonight? Here, just us?" he asked as he watched her put her hat back on and start walking towards the door.

Piper grinned back at him, turning, and walking backward. "I'd like that." She curtsied a bit cheekily. "Until tonight, your majesty." She looked at the groomsman waiting outside the door. "I think his majesty took me the long way around." The groomsman nodded and led her back towards where her car was parked. 

Robert rocked back on his heels, grinning. This time he didn't have to worry about a list. He walked towards the door of his office and into the hallway, turning towards his mother's office to give her the good news.


	2. I Want Something Just Like This

Piper sat in the overstuffed chair in her small living room, the scrapbook spread out on the coffee table. She had started it when she first joined the military and kept a record of the places she had seen while on active duty. And they had seen a lot, she, and Robert, in their time flying together. She picked up her mug of tea and sat back in the chair, picking up a photo of them together in Gibraltar. She remembered that day. Mitchell yelled out her name as she was climbing from her fighter and she hung on the ladder by one hand looking back at him, Robert standing at the bottom, flight helmet in his hands. She smiled and leaned forward to secure the picture in the book.

Her doorbell rang and she looked at the camera monitor on her counter. She didn't recognize the well-dressed young man standing there, but she saw the earpiece. Then she heard the motorcycle, saw it pause in the street behind the man before pulling into the far side of her drive. She unfolded herself from the chair and walked to the front door. "You must be his majesty's bodyguard, Jasper Frost," she greeted.

Jasper looked down at Piper. She was nothing like Eleanor described her other than the auburn hair. She maybe came up to his shoulder and he wondered if she was even tall enough to fly. Her dark hazel eyes stared at him in amusement, and he felt like she knew he was sizing her up. He learned that small packages like this woman – and his Eleanor – tended to pack a punch. "And your Squadron Leader Sutcliffe."

"Not anymore. But at least you got it right. Come in. I know the drill." She waited outside her front door, peeking around the corner of her garage to see the security detail waiting at the end of the drive. Robert sat on his motorcycle waiting, his helmet still on. She folded her arms, shaking her head with a grin.

Jasper checked out her home, jogging down the stairs and nodding. "Thank you, ma'am." He walked to the driveway before returning to Piper. Robert motioned towards the garage, but she couldn't hear anything he was saying. Jasper turned to her. "His majesty wants to know if he can put his motorcycle in the garage."

Piper nodded. "No, but he can put it in the back garden. And instead of you sitting outside my front door, you can relax in the garage. My father turned it into a den before they moved. There is a comfy couch in there as well as a telly. Feel free to enjoy it." She grabbed the keys to the back-garden gate from the key rack next to the door, Jasper following her into the house. "Oh, there is also monitors for the front and back door in there. I use it as an office sometimes and like to see what's going on. After all, you are protecting the king." She opened her back door and unlocked the garden gate. "I wasn't expecting you," she stated as he wheeled the motorcycle into her back yard. She locked the gate and turned to see him remove his helmet.

"I was curious how your day went," Robert greeted, leaning down to kiss her. "Let's go inside. I'm sure your neighbors are nosy enough to wonder who just pulled up on a motorcycle."

"Yes, we don't get motorcycle riding ruffians in this neck of the woods often," she quipped back with a cheeky grin. But Robert was right, and Piper couldn't argue with him. Her neighbors were a nosy bunch. They walked into her kitchen, Robert closing the door behind them. She saw Jasper at her front door talking to someone before closing the front door. "Everything all right, Mr. Frost?"

"Yes." He stood there awkwardly for a moment.

Piper pointed to a door on the other side of the kitchen. "That way."

He nodded. "Ma'am. Your majesty." He walked across the kitchen and through the door, closing it.

Robert looked down at Piper. "What was that all about?" he asked, setting his helmet on her counter before pulling off his gloves and leather jacket. He was wearing a dark blue Henley that brought out the blue of his eyes.

"I didn't think he needed to be standing outside my front door all night with a storm moving in," she replied as she filled the teapot with water and set it on the stove. She opened the cabinet and reached for the box of tea. It was just out of reach and she managed to push it further back into the cabinet. She chuckled as Robert reached over her and plucked the box from the shelf. "Thank you."

"What would you have done if I hadn't been here?" he asked in amusement, resting one hand on the counter that separated the kitchen from the sitting room, the other hand on the counter she was about to jump up on to get the tea. Her kitchen was small to begin with. Robert standing there taking up all the space made it even smaller.

"Something unladylike," she answered with a laugh. She ducked under his arm, only to find herself caught in his arms. "I'm trying to make a pot of tea here."

"I'm not stopping you," he replied. He dropped a kiss on her neck. Her hair was swept up in a ponytail that bounced when she walked. It exposed the line of her neck and he couldn't resist dropping another kiss there.

"Robbie, my arms are not long enough to reach from here," she succinctly pointed out. She stretched out her arms, turning her head up to look at him. She felt short without her heels on, even though he only had seven inches in height on her. "Your majesty, you are hindering my progress here." She chuckled. "Do not make me stomp on your royal toes."

Robert laughed, knowing she would do it. "Then at least let me give you a proper kiss and I will let you go."

Piper narrowed her eyes at him. That was too easy and too cheap a price to get out of his arms. "Hmm...you're up to something." She turned in his arms. "Well? I'm waiting."

"Are you always going to be this contrary?" he teased, leaning toward her. He didn't kiss her yet, making her anticipate it. "I may have to put you in time out in the Tower if you are."

Piper chuckled. "Are you planning on reinstating beheadings?" she asked.

"Maybe," he whispered before kissing her. He wrapped his right hand around the back of her neck, deepening the kiss. He felt her pulse quicken beneath his thumb where he stroked the line of her jaw. Her eyes were closed, and he kissed the tip of her perky freckled nose when he finally let her go. "How about that cup of tea?"

Piper took a moment to collect herself before returning to the task of preparing the teapot for the water. She let herself fall into the soothing motions of putting everything together. "In answer to your comment about how my day went, it was...bittersweet." She looked over to him as he wandered into her small sitting room. She never had a dining room table and liked the more intimate setting the room afforded. Not that she ever had visitors.

"How so?" he asked, turning back to look at her, stopping his perusal of her knick-knacks. It was the first time he had ever been in her home and it was cozy. He liked it. It was very different from the opulence of the palace and the starkness of the barracks. He looked at the cat figurines that lined the mantle. He wasn't surprised to see them. Piper loved cats but couldn't own one because she was allergic to them.

"I had a lot of people stopping by some of the students that didn't want to see their flight instructor leave. Our Group Captain wouldn't even talk to me," she admitted. She let out a small harumph of disinterest. "It's all right. Ever since you came back, I have been persona non grata in that office." She poured the hot water into the teapot, set it on the tray, and carried it into the room.

Robert sighed. "Piper, I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I never expected them to give you trouble like this."

"You can thank your brother for that," she said. "Liam and his conspiracy theories around your death and the death of King Simon stirred up a snake pit." She shook her head as she looked at him. "And it's not your fault. I cried tears of joy when it came out that you were alive and well."

He smiled at her, the slightest tilting of his lips. He still felt bad that she got caught in the middle of the whole debacle. And that she kept her wits about her and his secrets intact. She was the one person he knew still had his back and supported him. Which was more than he could say for his own family.

She stood there for a moment, staring at her coffee table. "Um...can you move this stuff off to the side. I was feeling creative tonight." She smiled apologetically at him, waiting as he helped her, revealing the scarred table beneath the scrapbook and pictures. She set the tea service down as he picked up the photo, she had been looking at earlier. She sat back down in her chair. "You remember that day?" she asked.

Robert sat down on the loveseat across from Piper. He nodded. "I do. A simple supply escort. I remember we went to that seafood place on the water." He handed her the picture and took the cup of tea she offered him. He saw the other pictures laying on the table. "What is all this?" he asked.

"Memories," Piper stated quietly. Her eyes met his. "My life over the last ten years. A life I shared with you in the service to our country." She sipped at her tea, studying his face as he looked over her photos. He was comfortable sitting there on her worn loveseat. "Now I get to embark on a new life as a civilian without any job prospects."

Robert gazed up at her. "Why do you need a job?" He set the photos back on the scrapbook.

Piper closed the book, setting the other supplies on top of it. "How am I supposed to pay my bills? Or keep this place up? Or fix my car?"

He shook his head. "Piper, you don't need to worry about that now." He set his teacup down.

"Yes, I do, Robbie. I can't expect you to pay my bills simply because we are dating. What if..." She stared at him. "What if this doesn't work? I have to be able to support myself."

"Then come work for me. I need a personal assistant and it will allow us to spend more time together," he commented.

"No." She waved her forefinger as she pursed her lips and shook her head. "Don't get me wrong. I like the idea of seeing you every day but look at what happened to Willow. The press had a field day with that and then there is the whole "sleeping with the help" thing I've heard you complain about." Piper shook her head vehemently.

"Then what about working in the palace in an official capacity as my future queen?" he suggested.

She was going to say something about him being cocky, that he was awful sure of himself, and the fact that she would say yes. But in reality, she had already told him yes. She just wanted him to date her for a bit before the whirlwind of a wedding. Piper knew she wasn't going to get that. In truth, he courted her while they were in the Air Force, the little conversations in the canteen, the private chats in the clouds while on patrol on their own channel, the one night they spent together that led them here. She tucked her tongue in her cheek and stared at him. "Before I give you an answer, I know you talked to your mother. What did she have to say about all this?"

Robert wiped his fingers over his mouth for a moment, leaning his elbows on his knees. "She...she wants me to choose someone who is not a commoner and someone she has vetted." He met her gaze. "She doesn't understand that I want to marry for love and as the king, I should. I don't have the option of..." He waved in the air and stood up, walking to the bookshelf, and gazing over the books and photos there. "I want to marry a woman I will love and cherish the rest of my life, a woman I can trust with my darkest secrets, someone who can...who can counsel me in the middle of the night when I have a bout of guilt from my actions."

Piper blushed, looking down at the teacup in her hands. She set her teacup aside and stood up, walking over to him. She rested her head on his back, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I'm pretty sure I know all those dark secrets," she whispered.

He pulled her around him, embracing her and breathing in the scent of her hair as he nuzzled the top of her head. "Being king is lonely and not for the faint-hearted." He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out the ring box. "Do I need to get on one knee and ask?"

Piper looked at the box and her lips twitched a bit. "Yes, yes you need to get down on one knee and ask, Robert. I don't care if you're the king." Her tone was cheeky, teasing and she honestly didn't expect him to do it. When he did, her breath caught in her throat. "Robbie..."

Robert took her hand in his. "Piper Katherine Sutcliffe, will you marry me?" he asked.

Piper stared at him. The look on his face was hopeful and very full of love. But Piper saw past it. Beneath the veneer of king was a man who wasn't exactly sure of the steps he had already taken. A man who needed someone at his side that would keep him grounded and from making mistakes. She knew the secrets he kept; the ones his brother was trying so hard to expose. She cupped his cheek, leaning towards him and kissing him gently. "Yes."


End file.
